Life and Times of Prof. M. Santappa

 

We present here a memoir of a par excellence Academician, Educationist, Teacher, Scientist, Administrator, Leader, Champion and above all a wonderful human being.

 

Prof. Santappa was born on October 2, 1923 in Jonnagiri, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) and passed away peacefully at his home in Chennai (formerly Madras), Tamil Nadu on February 26, 2017.

 

Prof. Santappa spent his early days in Uravakonda, Anantapur District, A.P. After completing his schooling and he earned his bachelors and master’s degree in Chemistry. He went to the U.K. (in 1946) as a Government of India scholar and had the distinction of taking two Ph.D. degrees—first in Organic Chemistry in 1949 and a second in Physical Chemistry in 1951. He began his illustrious career in 1952 with the University of Madras and went on to become the great institution’s Vice Chancellor in 1981. He also served as Vice Chancellor of Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupathi in 1979-80. Earlier, in 1973, Prof. Santappa became Director of Central Leather Research Institute, a CSIR institution and served for two terms: one, between 1973-78 and a second term between 1980-81. He was Vice Chancellor at the University of Madras from 1981-84. Post this period he served as INSA, DST, UGC and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board as a Scientist/Professor/Advisor between 1985-2002.

 

Prof. Santappa has to his credit more than 350 original scientific papers in prestigious publications. He has guided 57 research scholars that have earned their PhD degrees and gone on to hold premier positions in academia and industry. In addition, 7 research scholars have earned their M.Sc. under his guidance.

 

Prof. Santappa has won several awards and distinctions including the SS Bhatnagar Award for Chemical Sciences in 1967. He was elected Fellow of major science academies (FNA, FASC, FNASC, FRIC) and was the Chairman/Committee Member of choice for those programs of the (State/Central) Government where social contract of science was the focus. He has served in the Boards of academic institutes like the IITs/IISc and IIMs apart from leading Universities and a few corporates too.

 

Prof. Santappa is regarded as a pioneer in field of polymer science in India. He went on to practice the discipline with great distinction and further its cause. He trained a generation of polymer chemists in the country and brought visibility to research in Indian polymer science. He has published an authoritative review on status of polymer research in India (in 1989), which not only painted the national landscape in the knowledge domain but also gave a direction for further work in the field. He championed for planned development of polymer science and contributed to the global visibility of work being undertaken in the country.

Prof. Santappa contributed to the development of Indian leather sector at CLRI during one of its most crucial phases. His leadership in CLRI empowered the entire leather sector to multiply value-realization from leather many-fold in spite of many challenges. Expansion and diversification of the core strengths of CLRI were registered during his regime.  He strengthened academy–research–industry partnerships in Indian leather sector and enabled CLRI to expand its research focus to on synthetic polymers and new man-materials for footwear and other applications including research on carbon fibre, composites and plastics was also initiated. During his tenure at CLRI, annual exports from Indian leather sector grew from Rs 400 crores to Rs 4000 crores in a span of 7 years.

There have been several awards and endowments instituted in Prof. Santappa’s name to celebrate the academician, teacher, scientist, administrator, leader, champion and make known his many achievements for benefit of future generations. On his own accord he has instituted prizes in the high school and colleges where he had his early education as a token of appreciation and remembrance of his humble roots and early days in his life.

 

Prof. Santappa leaves behind an unfathomable void, particularly for his children and their families and the many people whom he had a close association at different stages in his life journey. He will always be remembered for his discipline, kindness and helping nature.

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Parents

 

Prof. Santappa’s father was a leading exporter of leather from Ceded Districts during the 1930’s and his mother was from Gooty.

 

Family

 

Prof. Santappa’s wife was Mrs. Dhanalakshmi Devi (she passed away at their Chennai home in 2018) and they had three daughters (Shyla Raghuram, Vani Rao and Sunanda Santappa) and two sons (Umesh Chandra and Ravi Shankar).

 

Education

 

• Schooling from the Board High School, Uravakonda, 1932-39.

• Bachelor’s degree (B.Sc.) in Chemistry from the then Ceded Districts College, now Government Arts College, Anantapur, 1939-43

• Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Chemistry from the Benares Hindu University (BHU), 1944-46

• Ph.D. degree in Organic Chemistry (Advisor: Dr.R.W.West) from the University of London University, 1949

• Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry (Advisor: Dr. Merdith Gwynne Evans) from the University of Manchester, 1951

 

Conferred

• D.Sc. (h.c.) from the Andhra University

• D. Litt (h.c.) from the Gulbarga University

• D.Sc. (h.c.) from the Sri Krishnadevaraya University

• D.Sc (h.c.) from University of Madras

• D.Sc (h.c.) from Madurai Kamaraj University

 

Career chronology

 

• Reader and Head, Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Madras (1952)

• Professor of Chemistry, Madurai Extension Centre of the University of Madras, Madurai (1958-62)

• Professor of Physical Chemistry, University of Madras; Madras (1962)

• Senior Professor of Physical Chemistry, University of Madras, Madras (1966-80)

• Member, University Grants Commission, UGC (1972-75)

• Director, Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI/CSIR), Madras (1973-78)

• Vice-Chancellor, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh (1979-80)

• Director, Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI/CSIR), Madras (1980-81)

• Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras, Madras (1981-84)

• UGC Retired Professor (1984)

• INSA Senior Scientist, Indian National Science Academy at Anna University, Madras. (1985-87)

• Retired Scientist of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), GOI (July 1988-91)

• Scientific Advisor, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (1989-2002)

 

Teaching and Research Experience

 

Teaching: With more than thirty-five years in teaching and guiding research scholars at the Doctorate level, he had a unique record of teaching B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc, and Ph.D. students in Chemistry and B.Tech, M.Tech, and Ph.D. students in Leather Technology of the University of Madras.

 

Research: His scientific contributions cover vast fields such as Science & Technology of Polymers (Plastics); Photochemistry, Physical  & Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Science & Technology of Leather. The main contributions were in the development of technology for application in industry in making Finished Leather, leading ultimately to self-reliance and import substitution.

 

Publications and PhD Awardees

Publications: He has to his credit more than 350 original scientific publications. Link to list of publications.

Ph.D. Awardees: 57 research scholars have earned their PhD degrees under his guidance and have held high positions in industry and academia in India and abroad. Link to list of students who were guided by Prof. Santappa for their Ph.D degrees. Also, seven students have obtained M.Sc. by research under the guidance of Prof. Santappa.

 

 

 

Awards                  

 

• SS Bhatnagar Memorial Award (CSIR) for Chemical Sciences in 1967

• Sir J.C.Ghosh Memorial Medal, Indian Chemical Society, 1982

• Cash Prize Award of the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) for outstanding work in Science & Technology of Polymers (1985)

• ‘VOICE’ Award for contribution in Science & Technology of Leather (1990)

 

Professional Affiliation

 

• UGC National Lecturer

• INSA Senior Scientist

• FNA - Fellow of the Indian Academy of Science of India, New Delhi

• FASC - Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore

• FNASC - Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad

• FRIC - Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry, U.K.

• Fellow Tamil Nadu Academy of Sciences

• Fellow of the Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences

• Distinguished Scientist of the Andhra Pradesh Academy of Sciences

• Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences

 

 

Distinguished Positions held

• Member of the Court and Executive Committee of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

• Member of All India Council of Indian Institutes of Technology, Delhi

• Member on the Board of Governors of IIT, Madras

• Member on the Board of Governors of the Indian Institutes of Management, Bangalore

• Member on the Board of Governors of the Indian Institutes of Management, Calcutta

• Chairman of the Expert Committee and the Advisory Board for Science and Society ie Rural Development and ‘Weaker Sections’ in the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India, New Delhi

• Member of the Ramamurthy Committee which reviewed the NEP (New Education Policy)

• Member of the Kurien Committee that reviewed the working of the Indian Institutes of Management

• Chairman of a committee for identification and prevention of hazards in Chemical Industry in Tamil Nadu

• Chairman of the committee formed by the A.P. Government for the restructuring of LIDCAP (Leather Industries Development Corporation of AP)

• Member of the Board of Directors of Vanavil Dyes & Chemicals

• Member of the Board of Directors of Avanthi Leathers

• Member of the Board of Directors of Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre

• Member of the Executive Committee (Syndicate) of P.S.Telugu University, Hyderabad

• Member of the Syndicate of the Gandhigram Rural University

• Member of the Senate of Annamalai University

• Member of the Senate of Punjab University

• Member of the Academic Advisory Committee and also Monitoring Committee of the Dravidian University, Kuppam, A.P.

• Member (part-time) of the Tamil Nadu Planning Commission

• Chairman of Tamil Nadu Academy of Sciences